Two Vietnamese radio reporters were kicked and beaten while covering the eviction of villagers from their farmland.

The assault on Nguyen Ngoc Nam and Han Phi Long, who work for state-run Radio Voice of Vietnam, highlights the risks of reporting on increasingly sensitive land issues in the country.

In what appears to have been state-sponsored violence against state-sponsored journalists, it signals an extension of the media crackdown that has previously targeted unsanctioned journalists and bloggers.

According to an AP report, the land in northern Hun Yen province was being cleared of 1,000 villagers to make way for a massive housing project to create a satellite city. At least 20 people were arrested.

Though the incident was captured on video and later posted on YouTube, it does not appear to be available any longer.